Post 2, Liam's 14th Birthday

 HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU!!

Liam turned 14! It struck me how he didn't seem to care too much that it was his birthday. Really? If you forget my birthday you better BELIEVE I've taken note! lol Birthday wishes, cards, the occasional gift..yeah, I really look forward to those and like to celebrate other people's birthdays as well. It's important! You were BORN that day, your destiny BEGAN that day in full force, it marks a time unique to yourself, that in that precise moment, YOU.

I've always felt that way about birthdays.

Even though his concern was lacking about such a monumental day, we tried to make a big deal out of it anyway. #1, it was his birthday. #2, it was important that he was adopted prior to being 14. #3, it was his first birthday with his new forever family! So many BIGS in this day!

On Liam's birthday, we visited a museum, had cake, and talked through itranslate, which is always fun!

The line to the museum was probably 20 minutes long and extremely hot and sticky. I felt like I was at Six Flags waiting on a ride, wearing the entirely wrong outfit. Miserable! My clothes were sticking to me. Thankfully there was plenty of air conditioning inside.

The museum. It looks like a Lego creation

Trying to get Chanz to cooperate for a family
photo, as usual! Some big tower behind us

Dreaming of being in Florida, or anywhere more American!

It's sideways, but this is an entire ivory carving. Liam
pointed to the tusk and said, "Elephant!"

Liam really wanted me to take a picture of this...

..and this

Frog bones. I didn't even know they HAD bones..

Bat bones

Liam and a gator

Rabbit bones

Ocean fish!

Our family

Chanz and Liam look at dinosaur bones

The little girl with us shoots bubbles and Liam chases them

Later that evening, the hotel sent up a cake and a birthday card

Happy Birthday! Chocolate icing on the outside, icing
and cake on the inside, also pineapple

He couldn't WAIT to eat his cake! Chanz is just getting sleepy

A couple that recognized him as "Wesley" came up with their daughter and sang "happy birthday" in Chinese and gave him a hacky sack, which he was happy to play with. To be in China, it was a decent birthday. I think he is just happy to have a family! We went to get pizza together and laughed and joked (as well as one can with a language barrier). He was making fun of me for getting just a little lost, while Daddy just goes straight to it -_-

I asked him if he read the letter we sent to him while he was in the orphanage, and he said someone read it to him. We looked at the picture book I sent and talked about different things. He was curious about my nephew, Isaiah, who is a couple of years younger than him. There was a photo album the orphanage sent and he seemed happy to look at pictures of him and his friends. We talked about the different kids. One of them he shared a room with, another was a really good friend. 

me:: Are you ready to go to America 

him::  yes.

me:: The food is different

him :: (Shrug) with a gesture that said "oh well"

me::  The people look different

him::  Same shrug and 'oh well

I didn't ask too many more questions (yet) as there will be time for that. I have no idea what he knows or doesn't know about America but he's a bright kid. I honestly feel he will fit in quite well. 

He is VERY protective over the iPad we gave him and will not let Chanz near it. I told him that it's ok if Chanz touches it, it will not break. He hesitantly nodded his head. I imagine it's a new thing to have something that is all his. Chanz *does like to pick. If he knows something is off-limits like that, he will be sneaky and laugh like an evil villan once he does get a hold of it lol

I just had a banana and a glass of coke for lunch. Not too bad! According to all the pictures I just looked at, I could stand to skip a few meals. It is nearly impossible to stick to a diet/exercise plan when you spend 2 solid months on adoption paperwork that should take a year and then travel to a country where the staple is fresh fruits and vegetables, which is good, but also lots of starches. 

Oh well. Once I get home, back to the drawing board! I can't wait to start running and exercising again!! Yippie! Ready to begin our new normal life!